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Saturday, 20 March 2010

Soft Honey Sandwich Bread

I've been trying to perfect a very specific type of bread for the last few weeks. The kind of artisanal bread that is flakily crusty on the outside but soft beneath, and is light, with lots of airy pockets inside. I've gotten close a few times. Each time I think to myself, I'll just make a few small revisions, and the next batch will be just right. And then I make the next batch, and it's...well...not.

Making the soda bread last weekend made me realise how frustrated I was getting with that elusive artisan French loaf. It was so nice to make something that I just knew was going to turn out well. It also made me remember how much I do enjoy a good sandwich. (Especially with cheese; I love cheese.) A nice, soft, everyday bread seemed just the thing to make. And this turned out so wonderfully!

I haven't actually made a sandwich with it yet though; I've been so excited about it that I've simply ended up eating several slices just plain! It is very satisfying and flavourful, soft and tender and not at all crumbly. The honey gives it a very mild sweetness; I personally find it reminiscent of honey-whole-wheat bread.

I should warn you: this bread has a lot of ingredients to measure, so it takes a little extra time to make. Believe me, it's worth it!

Honey Sandwich Bread

Dry ingredients:

3/4 c tapioca starch

3/4 c potato starch

1/4 c soy flour

1/4 c white rice flour

2 T sorghum flour

2 T teff flour

2 T buckwheat flour

2 T sweet rice flour

2 T "garfava" bean flour (Bob's Red Mill)

5 T Expandex modified tapioca starch

1 T chestnut flour

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp guar gum

1/2 tsp xanthan gum

1/2 tsp dough enhancer

1/4 tsp pectin (This is commonly used to "gel" jam. You can find it by the canning supplies in many grocery stores.)

Wet ingredients:

1/4 c canola oil

1 whole egg plus 1 egg white

2 T honey

1 cup warm water with:

1 tsp sugar

3 tsp yeast

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 375° F (350° F if using a glass loaf pan). Mix together the dry ingredients. Dissolve the sugar in the warm water, add the yeast, and let it foam for about five minutes. Add the yeast-water mixture to the dry ingredients. Pour in the oil, honey, and the lightly beaten egg. After you have thoroughly mixed the batter, put it into a well-greased loaf pan. Smooth the loaf with a wet spatula. Brush lightly with milk (optional - helps browning), and sprinkle a handful of GF oats over top of it.

Let the dough rise in a warm place until it has approximately doubled in size - it should be nearly level with the top of the pan.

Bake for ~ 1 hour. Cool 5 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a cooling rack. Allow bread to cool completely before slicing.

I just finished baking this and tried a slice before it was cold (couldn't wait). It sliced fine and is delicious in taste and texture, and the bread aroma filling the kitchen is divine. I've been looking for a recipe for this kind of bread for ages, and it also doesn't take too long to make -- a big plus. Many thanks for this one!

By the way, I added 2 Tb of poppy seeds and about a quarter cup more flax meal.